South Elgin Brownie Troop 1448 took 930 books and other materials to the Gail Borden Public Library-South Elgin branch on Monday to be sold to raise money for stocking the shelves of the new facility.
The book drive was a service project of the Clinton Elementary School-based troop to help the library branch that is expected to have its grand opening in late July, said Denise Raleigh, marketing and communications director at the Elgin-based main library.
The eight third graders who arrived with boxes and a utility wagon full of books where also the first group to receive their summer reading logs for the Mission Rad program.
Last summer, the girls did a lot of reading, said Brenda Brow, a troop leader. The Gail Borden Foundation made a donation to the library for every South Elgin pupil who finished the summer reading program in 2015.
Then, the Brownies picked service projects for this year, choosing to do collections for the library and Anderson Animal Shelter in South Elgin.
“For their Journey badge, they had to pick a cause to support,” Brown said.
Before they started, Ana Devine, director of branch services, showed the girls the construction drawings for the new library. Gail Borden and South Elgin leaders had announced plans for the facility at 121 S. McLean Blvd. in spring 2015. A grant from the Hoffer Foundation enabled purchase of the building, refurbishing, staffing and the start of a collection without any new additional taxes, Raleigh said.
Although much of the interior work has been competed, the library is empty now. The shelves, office equipment, and most importantly, the books, have yet to arrive.
The South Elgin branch Library joins Rakow branch library at 2751 W. Bowes Road, which opened in August 2009, and the main library at 270 N. Grove Ave., which opened in 2003. The South Elgin location has two community rooms for programming in contrast to Rakow, which was built without such space but needs it as attendance has grown.
“This branch and the Rakow branch will coordinate for programs,” Raleigh said.
The South Elgin branch is just 4,275 square feet, so will have a smaller collection, she said
Sophia Brito, one of the Brownies who collected the donated books, said she was excited to soon have a library so close to her home.
“I am super excited about it,” said Sophia, 8. “And it is right next to my mom’s favorite grocery store.”
She collected more than 100 books for the drive — all of which came from her shelves at home.
“I still have a ton of them,” she said.
Janelle Walker is a freelance reporter.
